Love's Spell
by AJsRandom
Summary: Set after 2.10, "Sweet Dreams." Merlin reads a love spell from one of his books, thinking it will do no harm. But what did the spell do and who did it affect? Mergana.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello again! I'm back with a new short story (5 chapters) I hope you'll find as engaging as my others.**

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Merlin sighed as he closed the door to Arthur's chambers behind him. After Vivian and her father had left, Arthur had made up for the days he'd been too lovesick to notice Merlin, let alone give him his usual chores. Merlin had had to do _all_ the chores for those two days today. He leaned against the door for an extra moment, to catch his breath before walking back to Gaius's chambers.

When he reached Gaius's door, he smiled and stepped through. He closed it behind him and nearly tripped down the steps, but recovered at the last second. The sound made Gaius look up. "Are you quite all right?" he asked.

"No," Merlin replied, "Arthur nearly worked me to death today. I had to do all the stuff he forgot about while he was enchanted. Two days' worth." He grimaced and went to sit down at the table across from Gaius. "Is that dinner?" he asked, pointing down to the food in front of him.

"Indeed. Eat up before you fall over."

Merlin tore into the food. He hadn't had anything since breakfast. Silence settled over the room until he finished. "Thanks Gaius."

"You're quite welcome. Now off to bed with you."

Merlin nearly tripped again on the steps up to his little room. He lit his candle with a single word and was glad he had. All the books about love spells that Gaius had dug up were sitting on the floor where he'd shoved them last night. They'd still been on his bed when he'd fallen sleep.

He picked his way over to his bed and sat down. Glancing at the floor, he picked up a book at random and started thumbing through it. He was drawn to a particularly gilt page. Some of the words were in the Old Language, which he could read well. But most were written in Latin, which he barely recognized. The Latin appeared to have been written sometime after the Old Language. Very curious.

Merlin bent his head closer to get a good look at the spell's words. _Læt mín tréowlufe ácýðeþ oþ mec_. _Let my true love reveal herself unto me_. He thought for a moment, and said to himself, "Oh what the heck. Who's it going to hurt?" He read over the spell silently to get the pronunciation right, then spoke out loud, " _Læt mín tréowlufe ácýðeþ oþ mec_."

He felt his magic flare up for a moment before settling back to its usual level. Alas, no girl appeared, but maybe it needed a few moments to work. He sat and waited a few more minutes, flipping through the book some more. But still no girl appeared. "Forget it," he said to no one, and shut the book. He tossed the book to the floor and got his sleeping clothes on. Then he flung himself to his bed, pulled up his blanket and went to sleep.

xxxXxxx

Upstairs in her chambers, Lady Morgana startled awake. Her eyes flared gold for a moment and she whispered, "Merlin." Her eyes closed again and she quickly drifted back to sleep, not remembering what she'd woken for.

xxxXxxx

In the morning, Morgana blinked her eyes open, surprised. She couldn't remember having any dreams last night, even though she'd forgotten to put her bracelet on. Even more surprising was the fact that she felt completely rested. Energetic. That happened rarely, so she decided she'd enjoy the day to the fullest while she could.

Gwen was surprised to see her mistress wide-awake and sitting up in bed. "My Lady, you're awake!"

"Good morning, Gwen! I feel wonderful this morning!" Morgana replied.

"You look wonderful! Come, eat breakfast and tell me all about it."

Morgana went to her table and ate almost all the food Gwen had brought. Gwen marveled at this—Morgana hardly ever finished half of what she brought. She bustled around the rooms, tidying this and that while her mistress ate.

"Gwen, is there anything planned for me this morning?"

"Not this morning, no. This afternoon you're to dine with the King and Prince, but you're free until then."

"That is great news! I feel like spending the morning outside. Tell me the weather's pleasant."

"The weather's pleasant, My Lady."

"Fantastic! We can go to the market and maybe watch the knights train. Mmm, strong sweaty men."

"Morgana! How shocking."

"Oh you know you like it just as much as I do."

"True. Arthur will be down there, and Merlin."

"Merlin . . ." Morgana's eyes lit up. She was struck by a sudden desire to see him. "All right, let's do it." She pushed her plate away and began discussing clothing with Gwen. Within thirty minutes, Morgana was ready to go down to the training yard.

Morgana led Gwen through the castle and out to the training yard. They walked to the far side where there were benches set up for those who wanted to rest or observe. She and Gwen settled themselves down at one end. Merlin was at the other, sharpening a sword. Morgana felt a warm tingle rush through her body. She scooted a little closer so she could talk to him.

"Hi Merlin," she said to him.

"Milady," he nodded at her in deference.

"Pshh, Merlin, we're friends. Call me Morgana,"

He gave her his winning smile. "All right, _Morgana_. What brings you out here today?"

"Oh we just wanted to see how well Camelot's knights perform."

He quirked and eyebrow at her. "Really?"

"Sure. It's been a while. And as Camelot's First Lady I need to be able to reassure the rest that our men are fit enough to defend us."

"I didn't know that."

"Not many do." Of course she's making that up. But she might get away with adding that to her official list of duties. Hmm.

Just then Arthur finished off Sir Leon and trudged over to Merlin. The servant jumped up to hand the Prince a cup of water. "Morgana," Arthur said, "nice to see you. But please don't draw attention to yourself. I don't want my men distracted."

"Sure, Arthur," she winked. Merlin chuckled.

Arthur turned to him. "Oh, you think you're immune to her? Fine. You're up next then."

Merlin looked at him, surprised. "But . . ."

Morgana stood. "Don't worry Merlin. Surely you can hold your own by now." She laid a hand on his arm and leaned a little closer. "I think you have a chance." Then she laid an impulsive kiss on his cheek.

He looked at her in shock. She simply moved back to her place on the bench. He didn't move again until Arthur came behind him and bumped his shoulder. "Here," he grunted, and handed his servant a shield and a blunted sword. He walked back out to the spot Leon had vacated and twirled his sword.

Merlin looked back at Morgana and Gwen. They waved at him and that gave him a bit of courage. He walked out to meet Arthur and took up a defensive stance. The Prince swung at him and he successfully stopped the strike with the shield. The rest of the fight went much the same way. Occasionally Merlin deflected strikes with his sword. He even got in a few jabs of his own before Arthur feinted to Merlin's right, but swung left to hit him on his unprotected side.

"Ahh," Merlin gasped and dropped his shield and sword to grab at his left arm.

"What is it?" Arthur asked, trying to mask his concern.

"You sliced my arm, you oaf!"

Morgana and Gwen jumped up and ran over. "No I didn't," Arthur argued.

"Oh yeah, then what's this?" Merlin lifted his hand from his arm and the other three saw a long, shallow cut just above his elbow.

"Arthur! Why'd you do that?" Morgana tossed at him.

The Prince looked flabbergasted. "It's a blunt sword!"

"And you're stronger than you think," Morgana spat back. Merlin and Gwen watched the exchange with interest.

"Well if he wasn't such a girl—"

Morgana cut him off. "That's enough. Find someone else to slice up." She turned to Gwen, "Come Gwen, let's get poor Merlin to Gaius. _He_ cares." She pulled a handkerchief out of her sleeve and put it on Merlin's cut. Then she put his hand back on it and slung an arm around his shoulders to lead him away.

Merlin glanced back at Arthur, who stood there looking like a scolded child. He really hadn't meant to injure Merlin, just poke a little fun. He finally turned and walked over to where the rest of the knights sparred.

xxxXxxx

Gaius stood at his table brewing the King's nightly potion when his door banged open. He jumped a bit and turned to look at the intruder. Gwen held the door open as Morgana, with her arm around Merlin, helped him down the stairs and over to the table.

"What happened?" the physician asked.

Morgana looked up at him. "Arthur decided to be a bully and sliced Merlin's arm open."

"We were sparring," Merlin offered.

Gaius rolled his eyes. "Not again," he muttered, and went to where he kept bandages. "Gwen, would you pour some water into a bowl please?"

Gwen hurried to comply with his wishes. When Gaius came over with the bandages, she picked one up and dipped it into the bowl. "Take off your jacket and roll up your sleeve," she told Merlin.

Morgana helped him with that, even though he could have managed on his own. He didn't really understand her attention, but was secretly happy to be fussed over for once. She sat on the bench next to him while Gwen cleaned the cut.

Gaius came over then with a jar and a couple of bottles. "Let's see how bad it is then." Gwen moved out of the way so Gaius could sit on Merlin's other side. He picked up the injured arm and examined it closely. "It looks pretty shallow, so you won't need stitching." Merlin sighed in relief.

"That's good news," Morgana said.

Gaius reached behind him for the jar he'd brought over. "Honey will prevent infection," he told her when she gave the jar a puzzled look.

"Thanks, Gaius," Merlin said. They watched Gaius dab honey on the wound and wrap a bandage around it. As he tied it off, Merlin sighed again.

"What is it?" Morgana asked.

"I should get back to Arthur."

"No, I don't think so," Morgana said. "You should stay here and rest a bit. If Arthur gets upset I'll tell him off."

"It's almost lunchtime, My Lady, would you like me to bring it to your chambers?" Gwen asked.

Morgana thought for a moment then smiled. "I have a better idea. Why don't you bring all four of us a bit of lunch here? That way Merlin can rest and we can chat. We don't get to talk enough, do we Gaius?"

The man in question was staring at her, surprised. Since when did she want to lunch with them? He looked at Merlin, who had the same look on his face. "Uh, no, we don't, My Lady. That's very generous of you."

Gwen left the room. Morgana turned to Merlin. "How are you feeling Merlin?"

"Much better, Mi—" Morgana glared at him. "—um, Morgana. Thanks."

"Good. I just get so tired of Arthur treating you like nothing. I mean, you do so much for him, and does he ever say thanks? Nooo."

"Actually—"

"You follow him everywhere, into all kinds of danger, and does he ever give you chainmail even? He makes you do all sorts of things I'd never even _think_ of telling Gwen to do. For crying out loud, there are stable boys to clean the stables. That's what they're for!"

"He doesn't—"

"I know you've saved his life more than once. You even helped rescue Gwen! I just wish he'd realize how valuable you are, at least give you a raise."

"Morgana," Merlin said firmly. "Thank you for your concern. That's very kind of you, but you don't have to worry about me. I can handle what Arthur dishes out; I've been doing it for almost two years."

Morgana flushed a little. "Oh, yeah. Well I'll talk to him anyway and make sure he takes it easy on you for the next few days. Until you're healed."

"He won't listen, but I appreciate the gesture." They fell silent for a couple minutes. Merlin looked at Gaius, a plea in his eyes.

Gaius sighed internally. "So, Morgana, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?"

Morgana perked up and explained how she and Gwen were going to the market later. They both needed new dresses. Then they'd go back to Morgana's chambers and plan the styles of the dresses. Merlin was trying desperately to keep his eyes open when Gwen tapped at the door. The Lady jumped up to open the door; both of Gwen's hands were laden with trays.

"Oh thank g—thank you Gwen," Gaius said, and made room on the table for the food.

They ate in almost-silence. Morgana appeared to be talked out, which was fine by everyone else. She seemed to be unusually hyper today. When they'd all finished, Merlin offered to take the trays to the kitchen so Gwen and Morgana could go directly to the market for their fun. She agreed, and the girls were off.

Merlin sighed. "Wow. I don't mind being fussed over once in a while, but that was excessive."

"Her behavior does seem to be a bit off."

"Well, maybe her shopping will take some of that energy out of her."

"We can certainly hope."

Merlin stood. "Well, as much as I'd like to, I can't sit here all afternoon. Arthur won't let a little cut stop him from ordering me around." He picked up the trays. "See you later Gaius."

"Bye, Merlin. And be careful, will you?"

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 **Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be up in a few days. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2! And review replies:**

 **Tahbatha- Thank you! I hope you like this chapter.**

 **I luv Milarion 1201- Hey stranger! :) Enjoy.**

 **.3- Thanks for pointing out my mistake! I fixed it. :)**

 **Miktap- Thank _you_ for the review!**

 **sjritts- Yeah I wish they'd done something like this too!**

 **Guest- Thanks! I hope you keep reading.**

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Morgana and Gwen strolled down the market lane. A festival was nearing; so many vendors from outside the local area had come to town. Every so often the girls would stop at a cart and admire the wares there. The Lady seemed particularly attracted to _blue_ items. She found a beautiful necklace set with sapphires, arranged in a loose triangular formation.

They strolled further down, toward the fabric vendors. Gwen saw a beautiful deep peach color that set off her complexion quite well. Morgana insisted upon paying for most of it. The maid had picked up on her mistress's energetic mood early on in the day. Morgana usually wanted nothing to do with the knights' training. And she seemed especially protective of Merlin. They were friends, of course, but there had been a sort of distance between them for the last few months.

Gwen was pulled from her reverie by a shriek. Then Morgana was pulling her toward a cart to their left. She picked up a certain blue fabric. "Look, Gwen, isn't it just perfect?"

The maid examined the fabric. It was a particularly shimmery satin, and seemed to _sparkle_? "Is there something else woven into this?" she asked the vendor.

The older woman smiled. "Oh, yes. Someone in a foreign land made thread that looks like gold. Some of that was woven into this fabric."

Morgana squealed. Squealed? "It's gorgeous! That makes it look even more like Merlin's eyes."

Merlin's eyes? Since when was Morgana obsessed with Merlin's eyes? "Do you want to buy it Morgana?"

"Oh, yes." They briefly discussed how much they'd need and Morgana paid. It was wrapped and she took it with glee. She skipped away from the cart and back up the lane.

Morgana, First Lady of Camelot, was skipping. Did the world tilt the wrong way? Gwen shook her head and ran off after her mistress. The rest of the day was going to be very interesting.

Back in Morgana's chambers, they talked dresses. Naturally Morgana wanted hers made up right away. Gwen sighed and took measurements. It really was a lovely fabric and she'd enjoy working with it—she hadn't gotten to make many of Morgana's dresses.

Gwen sighed when Morgana told her how she wanted it styled. She wanted the neckline a bit lower than usual, and the sleeves attached nearly off the shoulders. That would be showing a bit too much skin for Gwen's taste, but Morgana always liked to push propriety.

At least Morgana returned the favor and helped Gwen measure and design. By the time they'd finished all that, it was time to dress the Lady for dinner.

"Which dress would you like to wear tonight, Morgana?" _I just know she'll say blue_.

"Oh, the deep blue silk, I think. My new necklace will go perfectly!" I knew it, Gwen thought. The dress in question also had a little lower neckline and a complementing green wrap that would set off Morgana's eyes.

"Wonderful choice, My Lady. You seem to have a penchant for blue today."

Morgana giggled. "I do, don't I? It reminds me of a gorgeous set of eyes." She sighed.

Gwen wanted to roll her eyes, but refrained with great effort. She helped Morgana dress, styled her hair and arranged her necklace and wrap. Morgana did look stunning; she had to give her that. When everything was said and done, she followed Morgana out of her room and down the corridor to the royal dining room.

xxxXxxx

The rest of Merlin's afternoon passed quietly. The work kept his wound from troubling him too much, and he did get a bit of a break before he had to dress Arthur for dinner. The royals were eating together tonight, so naturally he'd have to serve there too.

He and Arthur had reached the corridor in front of the dining room when they saw Morgana and Gwen. The men stopped short and Merlin's eyes nearly popped out of his head. Morgana had clearly put a lot of effort into her attire this evening.

Arthur just rolled his eyes. "What's the occasion, Morgana? I know you didn't dress to impress me."

Morgana smirked. "Sometimes I just like dressing exceptionally fine. What's it to you?"

The Prince just "hmph-ed" and walked into the dining room. Morgana caught Merlin's eye and winked. He flushed and ran after Arthur. The Lady simply giggled and followed the men into the room.

Gwen and Merlin set to pouring wine in goblets as the royals sat down to the meal. Dishes were brought out by kitchen maids and the two servants began dishing out the food. When everything was served, Gwen and Merlin picked up pitchers of water and stood behind their respective masters.

Morgana was particularly delighted. She had a great view of Merlin, and could look up at him anytime. She did so throughout the meal, and when she caught his eye, she'd smile and wink. He looked a little embarrassed at the attention, but couldn't keep his eyes off her for long. That satisfied her even more; pretty soon it would be clear to him how she felt.

The Lady excused herself a bit early, citing something she needed to do. Gwen followed her out into the corridor. "I won't be a moment, Gwen, but I have to . . . go out to the garden. I think I dropped an earring out there a couple days ago."

"Oh Morgana, I can go look for it—"

"No need, Gwen. You go on to my chambers and get your before bed things done. I think I want to sit out there for a few moments anyway." Gwen frowned, but followed her instructions.

Morgana turned and headed to the garden. Lost earring, ha! She did want to think for a few minutes, but had another reason. She wasn't sure if Merlin was getting her signals, so she decided to give him something that would send a clearer message. Once in the garden, she picked up the shears meant for cutting flowers then sat on a bench to think for a moment. But what color? When she'd made her decision, she walked to the pertinent bush and snipped off a single, full bloom. Satisfied, she went to lay in wait for her opportunity.

Merlin was following behind Arthur on the way back to the Prince's chambers. From out of nowhere, something latched onto his wrist and yanked him to the side. _What the?!_ When the world stopped spinning, he found himself in an alcove. With Morgana. She looked a bit apologetic.

"I just wanted to see how you're feeling," she said as if that explained everything.

"What? Oh, my arm. Um, it's fine, really. No more bleeding, and it doesn't hurt," he replied.

"That's good. I just, uh, wanted to give you this to help you feel better. You've given me flowers to help cheer me and I wanted to do the same." She held out a single, long-stemmed flower.

"Oh. Well, thanks." He took the flower and waited. _Say something!_ "Um, was there anything else? Because I've got to get back to Arthur before he—" In the distance they heard a distinct " _Merlin!_ "

"Sorry," she said. "Go ahead. Have a good night!" And just like that, she was gone.

Merlin sighed and stepped back into the corridor, slowly walking to his master's chambers. He looked at the flower he held. It was a pink rose. _Pink?_ Okay, it was pretty, but why a rose? He laid the flower down just outside Arthur's door. If the Prince saw it, he'd no doubt ask all sorts of uncomfortable questions that Merlin didn't want to answer. He went inside and began the nightly ritual of preparing Arthur for bed.

Morgana entered her chambers to find Gwen puttering around, tidying this and that. There really wasn't that much to do, in Morgana's opinion, but the maid exerted herself anyway. After a few minutes, Gwen slowed down and they talked for a few minutes. Then the maid got up to pull a nightgown from the wardrobe and tossed it over the dressing screen for her mistress.

The Lady got up and walked behind her screen to change. As she reached for her nightgown, she had an idea. "Gwen, when you leave, would you stop by Gaius's chambers and ask him for a sleeping draught? I misplaced my healing bracelet."

"Oh, I'm sorry Morgana. Of course I'll do that," Gwen replied. "I can help you find it tomorrow."

"Thank you Gwen. You're the best, you know that?"

"Oh, I wouldn't say that. But thanks for the compliment."

When Morgana reemerged, Gwen was just finishing turning down the bedcovers. She walked over to give the maid a hug. "You're a wonderful friend." She sat at her vanity.

"You're an amazing friend too, Morgana." Gwen came over and brushed through Morgana's hair for a short while. When they finished, the Lady sat on her bed and picked up a book from her bedside table.

Gwen wandered around the room, blowing out the candles. When there were two left alight, Morgana stopped her. "Sleep well, My Lady."

"I hope to. Have a good night Gwen; see you in the morning!"

"Goodnight." Gwen left the room at that.

Morgana smiled. Now all she had to do was wait, and she'd get to see her man before bed. That should help her have pleasant dreams.

xxxXxxx

Merlin gratefully exited Arthur's chambers. The Prince was irritated at being kept waiting for his servant. But since said servant didn't want to tell his master why he was held up- thus leading to more severe punishment -he just smiled and took his lumps. Now he was free though, and would enjoy a little personal time before going to sleep. He picked up the rose, put it in his jacket and walked back to Gaius's chambers.

He walked into the room, took one look at Gaius's face and groaned. "You have an errand for me, don't you?" he asked, but it wasn't really a question. He was just good at reading his mentor.

"Gwen came by. Morgana asked for a sleeping draught to be taken to her. She's lost her healing bracelet," the physician replied.

"All right, where is it?" Gaius pointed to a bottle; Merlin walked over and picked it up. He thought for a minute then put the rose down on the table. "I guess I'll see you in a few minutes." And he was gone.

Gaius looked down at the flower Merlin had placed on the table; his eyes went wide. "Where did he get this?" he asked the empty room. But empty rooms being poor conversationalists, he got no answer.

Merlin summoned his remaining energy and strode toward Morgana's chambers. He knocked lightly on the door. When he heard a faint "come in," he went inside and closed the door behind him.

She was sitting on her bed, in her nightgown, reading. "Oh," he said, and averted his eyes.

Morgana giggled. "It's all right Merlin. You've seen me like this before, and it's more modest than what I was wearing before."

Merlin brought his eyes back to her, but still flushed a bit. "I've brought the sleeping draught you asked for."

She stood up and walked toward him. "Thank you so much for bringing it."

"You're welcome. It's no problem." He still seemed a bit embarrassed.

"No, really, you're saving my life. I wouldn't be able to sleep without that draught." Her eyes filled with semi-genuine tears.

"Oh, of course Morgana. I'm glad I could help."

She burst into tears. "You're such a good friend Merlin," she sobbed.

Merlin was confused. Why was she so emotional? Was it one of _those_ days? He put down the bottle he still carried and put his arms around her. "Don't cry Morgana. I'm here for you."

Morgana shivered in delight. "Thank you."

"Anytime," he replied, and bent down to kiss her cheek.

She moved her head quickly, so instead of her cheek, his lips met hers. His eyes flew open when he realized what she'd done and he tried to pull away. But her arms shot up and wrapped around his neck, pulling him back to her. He continued to struggle but finally had to put his hands to her shoulders and pushed. She stumbled back from him; there was a _pop_ when their lips separated.

"Morgana!" he gasped, trying to catch his breath. "What the hell was that?"

She stared at him with wide eyes. "I just wanted to express my gratitude . . . to a very good friend," she said quietly.

"What?" Now he stared at her with wide eyes. "That was a bit . . . excessive for a friend."

"You didn't like it?"

"Yes . . . no . . . maybe . . . huh?" He was totally confused.

She giggled at him. "You're so adorable when you're confused." She walked toward him but stopped when he started backing away from her.

"Morgana, I . . . I need to go. Gaius needs me for, uh, a thing. Yeah. Seeyoulater," he said quickly, turned and disappeared out her door.

The door swung shut behind him. Morgana stood there, hands on hips, frowning at it. _Why did he run off? Does he not care about me too?_ She sighed and walked around the room to put out the candles. Then she went back to her bed and pulled her bracelet out of the drawer in her bedside table. Maybe he just needed a bit of time to get used to her showing affection. She hadn't before so it was probably a huge surprise for him.

Morgana put on her bracelet and crawled under the covers. That had to be his reason for running off. Well, she'd be patient. He was worth the wait. She smiled, rolled to her side and fell into a deep sleep.

xxxXxxx

Merlin ran back to the physician's chambers, not stopping until he flew through the door, slamming it behind him. What in the world was happening? Morgana was behaving so oddly. He wanted to discuss it with Gaius, to maybe unravel some of this tension. He looked around the room for his mentor and saw him laying his bed, asleep. Great, now he'd think about this all night and it'd keep him awake.

He sighed and walked carefully back to his room. Once there, he flopped onto his bed and began thinking. What. Is Happening?

Morgana talked with him. She kissed him on the cheek and watched him fight Arthur. She made a fuss over his wound, which wasn't that serious. She walked him to Gaius, made sure he was treated and shared her lunch with them. She wore a very interesting dress to dinner and made flirty gestures to him. She hauled him into an alcove and gave him a rose—did pink ones mean something like red ones did? And this last thing was the most confusing of all. Why did she call him a friend then kiss him?

It wasn't as if he hadn't liked or enjoyed it, because he definitely had. When he'd first come to Camelot, he'd been absolutely enchanted by her. Any male with a pulse would be enchanted by her. Of course he'd been a bit infatuated with her for a while and daydreamed about kissing her. Then he'd gotten to know her better; her inside beauty was just as amazing as her outside beauty. The infatuation had burned down to warm friendship, although there was still a kind of attraction. It may just be the kinship of their magic, but then again, maybe not.

And then there was Freya. She had burst like a falling star into his life, then faded as her life ebbed away. Thinking about her still hurt very much; not that much time had gone by since her passing. He hadn't gotten much time to mourn before he had to put it all aside and save Arthur from himself again.

So just how was he supposed to respond to Morgana? Clearly she felt more than friendship for him now, though it seemed so sudden. He could feel, inside, that the attraction he felt could be fanned into something more, but there were so many problems with that. He could be punished just for looking at her the wrong way; to be seen alone with her could cost him his head. And then there's the magic thing—one threat of head removal was enough for him. And wouldn't he be betraying Freya by loving someone else? What would _she_ want?

On the other hand, what if he missed a chance for happiness? Destiny wouldn't allow Freya because she would have taken him from it. At least that was his theory. But Morgana was here and not inclined to go anywhere else. And if he got closer to her, he could ease her loneliness and maybe share his other secret too. Help her avoid her destiny; keep her on the right side.

Ugh, he was wearing himself out after all. As embarrassing as this topic could be, maybe he should talk to Gaius about it. The dragon would just laugh in his face, tell him to kill her then demand to be freed. There was no one else. So then Gaius would get an earful in the morning and he'd have to hope he didn't embarrass himself to death.

As he was falling asleep, something nagged at him from the back of his mind. But it was quickly overwhelmed by the sheer force of fatigue and sank back into his subconscious.

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 **Thanks for reading! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 and review replies:**

 **sjritts- Interesting and awkward is a good way to say it! :) Look for more of that here.**

 **Tahbatha- Thank you! And I hope you enjoy this chapter too. :)**

 **Miktap- Mergana forever, yes! And yes, Morgana remains hard to avoid. :)**

 **I luv Milarion 1201- Thank you! 3 more chapters including this one. :)**

 **mersan123- Yeah, I love a confused Merlin- he's adorable! :)**

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Somehow Merlin managed to wake up at the same time as Gaius. The old physician retired early and rose early—he'd say it was the nature of age. Whatever it was, it meant he had a fair bit of time to probably humiliate himself before he had to go wake Arthur.

He groaned and rose from his bed. He'd fallen asleep in his clothes again, so he had to change. Once he'd done that, he opened the door to the outer room. Gaius was bent over his worktable, so when Merlin said, "Good morning," he startled.

"Merlin!" Gaius scolded. "You nearly gave me a heart attack. What are you doing up so early?"

He flushed. "I have an interesting problem to talk to you about."

"Does it have to do with the rose you left here last night?" His mentor nodded down at the table where it still lay.

"Um, yes, maybe."

"You don't know the meaning of flowers, do you?" Merlin shook his head; Gaius sighed. "All right, here's your first lesson. A pink rose, amongst other things, means secret love." Now poor Merlin went pale. "And a single full bloom like this one also means 'I truly love you.'"

The dazed young man collapsed to the bench in front of him. "I . . ."

Gaius gave him a shrewd look. "Merlin, who gave you this flower?" Merlin shook his head again, so Gaius gave him The Eyebrow. "Merlin, who gave it to you?"

"Mgna," he mumbled.

" _Merlin_."

The young man sighed. "Morgana."

Both of Gaius's eyebrows shot up. "Morgana? But surely she knows . . ."

"This is what I wanted to talk to you about. You saw how she was yesterday."

"Yes, she wasn't acting like herself."

"Exactly. And then she got worse."

"Worse? How?"

"Well, she wore this, um, provocative dress to dinner and winked at me when I looked at her. Which wasn't hard, because she was right in front of me."

"Okay, that's a bit unusual."

"Then she hugged me and gave me the rose. But that's not the worst of it. That would be when . . ." he stopped with a kind of choking noise.

"Well don't stop there!"

Merlin flushed bright red. "Gaius! Ever heard of tact?!" He glared at his mentor for a moment. "When I took her sleeping draught to her, she started crying about how she'd lost her bracelet. I couldn't _not_ comfort her. So I gave her a hug and went to give her a friendly kiss on the cheek. Then she moved her head really fast and . . . and her lips were there instead."

Gaius really shouldn't have been surprised at this point, but he was. His mouth fell open in shock.

Merlin was too caught up to notice. "She threw her arms around my neck and held me there. I had to push her away. She attacked me. And now I'm really confused and think maybe something's wrong with her. Because the day before yesterday she wasn't . . . like . . . this . . ." A look of horror came over his face.

"Merlin? What's wrong?"

"Nooo. No no no no no . . ."

"What is it?"

"I am so stupid!" he shouted without warning.

"Well, not that I don't agree, but why . . ."

The young warlock jumped up and ran back to his room. The thought that had been nagging at the back of his mind had just raced to the front of it. Gaius heard the sound of heavy objects being tossed around, then an "Aha!"

He nearly tripped on his way back into the main chamber, but managed to stay upright while carrying a heavy book. He walked to the table and set it down in front of Gaius with a _thud_. "What . . ?"

"It's one of the books about love spells," Merlin said, and began rifling through it. He smacked his hand down when he reached the page he wanted. "This one. How's your Latin, Gaius?"

"Passable. Why . . ?" Merlin hurriedly turned the book so it faced Gaius. The old man reached for his glasses and stuck them on. " _Læt mín tréowlufe ácýðeþ oþ mec_. _Let my true love reveal herself unto me_." Okay, that's not very straightforward."

"That's what I thought. But I said it out loud, not really expecting anything to come from it. Nothing happened right afterward, even though I felt my magic work."

"Maybe it did work, because this is exactly what Morgana has done to you."

"I know," Merlin said miserably.

"Perhaps the Latin could clear things up?"

"That's what I thought. So . . . please read it?"

"Yes yes. Give me a few minutes please."

"Okay, but don't take too long. I don't fancy mucking out the stables today."

Gaius read and translated for a few minutes before speaking. "'It's a very potent love spell. The caster's true love will reveal his- or herself to the caster through increasingly desperate measures.'"

"That explains a lot."

"'The spell lasts until the lovers meet and exchange true love's kiss and live happily ever after. The caster will know when the spell is fulfilled when the subject no longer acts with anxiety or desperation. But if the two do not meet, subject will long for their love until the end of their life.'"

"Is that all of it?" He sounded a bit apprehensive.

"That's it. You really have a knack for trouble, don't you?"

Merlin groaned. "Tell me about it. There are two ways to fix my mess and neither is something I want to do."

"Do you have feelings for Morgana?"

"Isn't that beside the point? Even if I did, and I'm not saying I do, she's the King's Ward! Royalty. I could be beheaded for looking at her wrong, let alone kissing her."

"As much as you and I like your head where it is, she will suffer for the rest of her life, I know you don't want that for her."

"I can't believe you're actually encouraging this. There's no way I'm asking the dragon for his opinion."

Gaius grimaced. "I can't believe it either, and it's probably best to leave the dragon out. Still, you'll have to figure out some way to make things work with her."

"Great, another big secret to keep. No problem."

At that moment, they heard a shout from down the corridor: " _MERLIN!_ "

Merlin groaned. "And now I see horse dung in my future. See you later, Gaius. Much later."

"Good luck, my boy."

xxxXxxx

When Gwen came into Morgana's chambers, the Lady was sitting in front of her vanity. She was staring into the mirror, brushing her hair and humming. Not normal behavior. Normal behavior was Gwen struggling for five minutes to wake the usually groggy Morgana.

The Lady looked up in her mirror and saw Gwen approaching. "Gwen, isn't it a lovely morning?"

"Yes it is. Are you feeling all right, My Lady?" Gwen asked.

"Perfectly. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, you just seem very happy."

"I am!"

"Oh-kay. Shall I bring you some breakfast? Or would you like to dress first?"

"I want to dress. And then I want breakfast—but enough for two people. I'm really hungry."

Definitely not normal. "All right Morgana, let's take care of you."

After Morgana was dressed and primped, Gwen went to the kitchen for her breakfast. She was nearly run over by Merlin, who ran in, threw some food on a tray and ran back out with a "Hi Gwen. Sorry Gwen. Bye Gwen!" She just rolled her eyes at her friend's antics.

Morgana was sitting at her table, twirling her hair around her finger. Gwen just shook her head and sat the tray down in front of her mistress. She started tidying up the room; making the bed, picking up clothes, and putting stray objects away. At one point she looked back at the Lady. Morgana hadn't moved at all and the food sat untouched in front of her.

"My Lady, aren't you going to eat this morning? You did say you were hungry."

"Oh yes, I'm just waiting."

"For what?"

"Until you're done. I just want to watch you for a while."

Gwen shook her head. Of all the ridiculous ideas . . . "Okay Morgana." She continued cleaning the room and Morgana's eyes followed her around. Finally she had all the dirty clothes in a basket to wash and was ready to take her leave. "Um, I'm off to work on your laundry now, My Lady. I'll see you before lunch?"

"Of course. Have a good morning Gwen!"

"Thank you My Lady. You too." With another fond shake of her head, Gwen was gone.

Morgana waited a few more minutes, then stood and picked up the tray of food. She knew her love had probably not had much, if any, breakfast. Her plan all along was to wait until Gwen and Arthur were gone and share her breakfast with Merlin. She knew it was the day he stayed back from training to clean Arthur's chambers.

When she got to Arthur's door, she balanced the tray on one hand and knocked. Then she opened the door and walked in. Merlin stood there with his mouth open. _Good, he was surprised_. "Good morning Merlin! I thought you might like some breakfast." She kicked the door shut behind her then walked over to the table and sat the tray down.

"Oh, um, thanks Morgana. That's awfully nice of you," he replied.

"I know you don't get much to eat in the morning. So I had Gwen bring me a lot so I could share with you. Then I waited until we could eat together."

"I didn't get anything to eat this morning, Morgana, but are you sure you should be here?"

"We both know how long Arthur's going to be gone, and that's plenty of time to eat breakfast. Besides, that's what you do, when you love someone."

Merlin blinked at her, not saying a word. If there was any doubt that she was under the influence of his inadvertent spell, she'd just dispelled it. "Um, you love me?"

"Of course! You're the bravest, kindest, most generous and patient man I know. And very good-looking. I'm just glad you're still unattached." While she talked, she'd come over to drape her arms around his neck. "Now let's eat . . . breakfast."

Merlin gulped. He was in serious trouble. But he pulled out one of the chairs for her and helped her settle into it before sitting into the one across from her. "This is generous of you."

Morgana arranged the plates of food between them and they began eating. After a few minutes, she decided to satisfy her curiosity. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Why did you run away last night? Don't you care about me too?"

Merlin nearly choked on the grape he'd just popped into his mouth. After he had a sip of water- that Morgana had poured -he answered. "Of course I do! You're my friend and you surprised me with that kiss. I didn't know you felt that way."

"Oh, I guess it could seem that way. It's just that I woke up yesterday and I suddenly felt more than just friendship for you." She blushed and looked down.

Morgana's blushing? "I've always admired you. At first it was because you're beautiful, then because you're kind, generous and compassionate. Beautiful on the outside and the inside."

She blushed deeper. "Thank you. You're so sweet." She reached out and took his hand; they both felt a bit of a tingle when they touched. "Did you feel that?"

"Yes I did. I wonder . . ."

"What is it?"

"Nothing to worry about." Another part of the spell? When he finished eating, he said, "I have to get to work." He stood and stepped around the table to help her out of her chair.

"Must you?" she asked as she stood.

"Yep, I've gotta earn my keep. Thanks for breakfast."

"You're welcome." She stared into his eyes. "Can I . . . kiss you?"

Merlin was surprised and his mouth fell open again. "Um, okay?" Maybe this kiss will free her?

She reached her hand to the side of his face and he closed his mouth as she brought him closer. When their lips touched, the tingle was more like a spark. It made him want to kiss her back, so he did. It was over all too soon; when she pulled away, he was left staring at her beautiful smirk. "I knew you felt it too."

He felt dazed and all he could manage was, "Yeah."

"Well, I should get going. I wouldn't want to distract you from your work." As she went to walk past him, her hand trailed across his chest.

He turned as she made it to the door. "I'll see you later?"

"You can count on it." With that, she was gone.

Merlin walked to Arthur's bed and sat on the edge. "I am in _so_ much trouble."

xxxXxxx

Morgana felt like skipping down the castle corridors _._ He cared for her! He kissed her back! Now she'd give him another token of her affection. She headed out to the castle gardens again; she'd pick red roses this time, a bunch. Then she'd leave them on his bed for him to find. And if Gaius was there, so what? He wouldn't tell anyone about their relationship. That also reminded her—she had to be careful. If they were caught together, he'd receive the harsher punishment, maybe execution! She definitely wanted him alive, so they'd have to plan their meetings.

Morgana shivered in delight. Wasn't love an adventure?

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 **Thanks again for reading! More soon! :)**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4! And a HUGE thank you too all my reviewers, mersan123, morningstar115, Tahbatha, sjritts, Miktap, I luv Milarion 1201, HoRnIe DeMoN, Meri Ley, Andy Howard, Guest, and Eliza. Virtual cookies to all of you. :)**

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Merlin sighed. After Morgana had left, he'd glanced out the window to see Arthur marching into the courtyard from the training yard. He began whispering a few well-known words to the room. The scattered clothes flung themselves into the laundry basket. The bed made itself. Uneaten food flew onto the plates, which stacked themselves onto the trays that had also stacked themselves. The dirt on the floor swept into a pile; he banished it to a random spot in the forest.

When Arthur had opened the door, Merlin was at the table, wiping it off. The Prince had promptly told him off for not coming down to the training yard. He was told to clean and polish the armor and sword before lunch. So after he'd taken the breakfast remnants back to the kitchen, he took the armor and sword to the armory, took care of them, then fetched lunch. Now he was on his way back to Gaius's for his own lunch.

The outer chamber was empty. It was a bit later than when he usually showed up for lunch, so naturally Gaius was gone. But there was a plate of bread and cheese set out on the table. He picked it up and made to go back to his room. He wanted to check his magic book for a spell to clean a fireplace with.

He opened his door and his attention was immediately drawn to his bed. He sat his plate down on the bed to pick up the bundle of red roses bound by ribbon. There was no mistaking this message or whom it was from. Apparently Morgana was still not free from the love spell. This thought was confirmed from behind him when he heard a squeal and a high-pitched voice say, "Surprise!"

Morgana came running from behind his door and he barely turned around in time to stop her from tackling him to the floor. She threw her arms around him and squeezed so tightly he could barely breathe. "Morgana!" he gasped.

"Oh, sorry," she replied, and loosened her hold a bit. She looked into his face and said, "Were you surprised?"

"Definitely. The roses are beautiful, thank you."

"I was just going to leave them, but I thought I'd stay to surprise you."

He thought for a moment. "How long were you waiting here?"

"Mmm. Two or three hours? But it was nothing compared to the joy of seeing you." Yep, definitely still under the spell.

"Wow, that's really, um, sweet of you."

"Anytime. Now come here." She pulled his head down so their lips could meet. This time she was insistent, almost hungry. She ran her the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth in surprise. Her tongue slipped inside and his knees went weak at the sensation. His hands went to her waist for a few moments, until the door to the outer chamber opened. He stumbled backwards and sat down hard on the bed.

Morgana smirked at him while Gaius's voice called out, "Merlin are you—oh, My Lady. Hello."

Gaius stepped up into the room. He looked between Morgana and his ward. Morgana looked extremely pleased by something while Merlin looked shocked. "Good afternoon Gaius, I came to ask you for another sleeping draught. Merlin, please bring it to me later tonight." With that, she turned on her heel and sashayed out of the room.

The old physician looked down at Merlin, who was still sitting on the bed. "Do I even want to know what that was all about?"

Merlin shook his head to clear it. "Probably not. All I know is that's the third time she's kissed me and the spell's still not broken."

Gaius looked a little surprised at this. "Well hmm. You clearly have some work to do."

"Me? What do I need to do?"

His mentor gently whacked him upside the head. "'True love's kiss' means both parties have to feel true love for the other. Clearly you're not there yet. How you could miss that after what Arthur went through is a mystery to me."

"So how do I make myself fall for her?"

Gaius smiled. "Just think back. I know you were infatuated with her before. I'm willing to bet that feeling hasn't changed all that much."

"Gaius!" Merlin yelped as he flushed.

"Just get to work. And eat your lunch while you're at it."

xxxXxxx

Merlin did eat his lunch. Then he took Arthur his and did his afternoon chores. Morgana did surprise him a couple of times though, even checking on him in the stables. He normally never saw her there, but there she was in her gorgeous green frock. Unfortunately he'd stripped off his shirt for the task and the only way to get her to leave was to put it back on.

By bedtime he was worn out and didn't really want to be cornered by Morgana in her chambers again, but go he did. Sure enough, she was ready for him in a lighter nightgown that made him blush. She barely glanced at the vial he gave her before setting it down and backing Merlin up against the wall.

"Morgana!" he squeaked, right before her lips made contact with his. Then she started kissing all over his face while he sighed internally. "Morgana," he tried again.

"What is it?" she asked between kisses.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" Her hands started drifting down his back.

"Us."

"What's there to talk about? I love you and you love me," she paused and took a step back, "don't you?"

He looked down into her suddenly anxious face. "I—I care about you a lot." Because he wasn't sure. But he knew that much and it wasn't enough.

Fortunately it worked. She smiled and said, "I knew it." Then she threw her arms around him and pulled him close.

He put his arms around her and for a moment he forgot his protests, the reasons why this was a bad idea. He held her closely and breathed in her scent—roses, like she'd left him earlier. So when she tipped her head up to press their lips together again, he kissed her back.

A shiver slid down his spine. The way she clung to him filled him with unexpected warmth. She was soft but her lips were firm, and now she was teasing him, feathering light kisses over his mouth. His hands slid down to her waist and held her there while taking control of the kiss. He brought up a hand to cradle her face and keep her there. He thought he could get used to this just before he remembered what they were doing, and broke away.

She looked up at him with a question on her face. "I've got to go," he lied, "Gaius needs me."

"Oh, all right." She nodded.

"But I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?"

"Definitely." She pulled him in for a quick embrace then let him go. "Until tomorrow then."

"Good night, Morgana."

"Good night, Merlin." She blew him a kiss as he left the room.

He nearly ran all the way back to Gaius's chambers. Once inside, he shut the door behind him and stared at his mentor. "We need to talk."

"Merlin, you look flushed. Either you ran all the way back here or something else happened," Gaius replied.

Merlin walked to a bench and plopped himself on it. "Both, actually."

"What's going on?"

"Morgana did it again. She trapped me and . . ."

"Kissed you."

"Yeah, but I couldn't help it this time. I kissed her back. And it felt . . ."

"I can guess." Gaius took off his glasses. "Normally I'd never say this, Merlin, but for her sake, you've got to spend more time with her."

"You're right. But what if we're discovered together? She might get off with a lecture, but me—I'd probably lose my head."

"You will just have to be careful. Very careful."

"Of course, Gaius, when have I been otherwise?"

Gaius gave him The Eyebrow and Merlin grinned. Spending more time with Morgana was a great idea, now that he thought about it. And he _was_ very careful. He had to be every day here just to survive. This was just another added layer of risk.

Fortunately he'd get a chance to be around her a lot in two days. She was off to visit her father's grave again, and considering what happened last time, Uther was taking no risks. Five knights, plus Arthur, would be accompanying her and Gwen on their journey. Arthur's inclusion automatically included Merlin's. And now he looked forward to it.

xxxXxxx

The next two days seemed to pass quickly for Merlin. In between his usual chores for Arthur and Gaius, Merlin saw Morgana frequently. She'd smile when they passed in the corridor. He took her sleeping drafts and stayed a few extra moments to talk and kiss. Once she even pulled him into an alcove and surprised him with an immediate liplock that grew heated rather quickly. He'd enjoyed that but reminded her they had to be careful. She'd nodded like she understood, but it hadn't kept her from her usual shenanigans that night.

The morning of the pilgrimage arrived, and for once Merlin woke up Arthur at the appointed time. Everything they needed was packed and ready for the day trip and nothing was going to stop them.

Except maybe Morgana. She'd apparently had a terrible nightmare and needed a little extra time to make herself ready. Merlin wanted to go to her to comfort her, but refrained. It wouldn't be good for either of them if he did so.

Finally Morgana had pulled herself together enough to be able to leave. Merlin and all the knights stood waiting with their horses in the courtyard when Morgana and Uther appeared with Gwen behind them. The King embraced his ward and she came down the steps looking as beautiful as if she hadn't had a rough night. Merlin smiled up at her and she smiled back, showing her confidence in herself.

Merlin helped her up on her horse and whispered, "You look beautiful."

"Thank you," she replied with a bright smile. He then turned away to mount his own horse and soon they were off.

The trip to Gorlois's grave passed without incident. Merlin noticed how Morgana grew more and more at ease as the day went by and wondered if her vision had something to do with this trip. He decided to keep an eye out, just in case.

The group lunched at the gravesite then packed up to leave. Morgana smiled and laughed as if nothing had ever disturbed her, and Merlin was glad to see it. He felt light and fluttery as he watched her with fondness. Was this what love felt like? If so, he now knew he was in the midst of it and wondered what their next kiss would bring.

The first couple of hours of the return trip were filled with laughing and joking among the whole group. But suddenly Merlin had an odd feeling, and before he could say anything, men charged out from the woods. At least twelve fierce-looking bandits now surrounded them. They yelled and rushed at the knights.

From somewhere ahead of him, Merlin heard Arthur yell, "Merlin! Get the ladies into the trees!" He jumped off his horse to help Gwen and Morgana off of theirs.

"No, I want to help!" Morgana said, reaching back toward her horse.

"Morgana, no," Gwen said, tugging on her lady's arm.

Yells and the clashing of sword on sword surrounded them as Merlin faced his love. "Morgana, please. We've got to hide."

"But—"

"For me, Morgana." He looked into her eyes, seeing her at war with herself.

"All right." But she drew the sword from her saddle and handed it to him. "Just in case."

Merlin followed behind the women as they dashed off to find cover behind a clump of trees. They crouched down and Merlin watched the fight. He stopped a sword from striking Sir Leon and caused a bandit to trip in front of Arthur. And every time Morgana or Gwen tried to look around him, he pushed them back down.

He'd turned his back for just a moment to tell Morgana to sit when a bandit came running at them. Acting instinctually, Merlin forgot the sword in his hand and raised his other to send the man flying a short distance. Merlin gasped at his stupidity and checked to make sure no one had noticed. The knights were all engaged in their own battles, so he turned to look around.

Morgana stood next to him, her body frozen in shock. Her face had gone pale. "Morgana," he said.

Her eyes turned toward him and her lips moved, but no sound came from them. A loud shout behind them brought the fight back to mind and he grabbed Morgana's arm to pull her back behind the trees with Gwen, who looked concerned. "Are you two all right?"

"Yeah," Merlin answered, "a bandit came toward us but Leon got him."

"Oh good." She looked relieved.

Merlin turned back toward Morgana, who was still muttering under her breath. "Morgana?"

"You saved me," she whispered.

"What was that?" He pretended to not have heard.

"You saved me," she paused, "with magic."

"Morgana—"

She seized his face between her hands. "Merlin, you have m—"

"Shhh." He covered her mouth. "We'll talk about this later, all right?" He pulled his hand away slowly.

She nodded and gave him a tentative smile. "Thank you."

"Of course."

They sat there in silence until sounds of the fight stopped and Arthur called out to them. Merlin stood and pulled up Morgana and Gwen. Arthur came over to them and asked, "All right there?"

Morgana answered, "We're fine. Is it all over then?"

"See for yourself."

Morgana, Gwen and Merlin looked around the small clearing and saw the ground littered with bandit bodies. The knights were checking each other for injuries and cleaning their swords. All still lived.

"Well that's a relief," Merlin commented.

"No thanks to you, Merlin," Arthur shot back.

Merlin rolled his eyes and glanced at Morgana, who tried to cover her nervous giggle. He smiled and nodded at her. The horses waited patiently for them as Merlin led the women over to them and helped them mount.

Soon enough the whole group was ready to go. "Let's get out of here," Arthur said. He nudged his horse and they all fell into line again, heading back home.

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 **Thanks for reading! Chapter 5, the last chapter, will be up in 3 days. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5, the last! I hope you've had as much fun reading this as I have writing it. :) Huge thanks to my reviewers (it's always a kick to get those little e-mails!): morningstar115, mersan123, I luv Milarion 1201, Tahbatha, 93 Diagon Alley, sjritts, Meri Ley, Miktap, and Eliza. More virtual cookies for you!**

* * *

After a few more hours of riding- at a faster pace -the group made it back to Camelot unmolested. After making sure Gwen and Arthur were all right, Merlin moved close to Morgana to whisper, "I'll see you tonight."

"Tonight then," she whispered back.

Merlin watched her and Gwen leave for Morgana's chambers and he turned away to unpack his and Arthur's horses. He got Arthur's things unpacked and served Arthur dinner before heading to Gaius's chambers to share his story with the physician.

"Hey, Gaius," he said as he walked through the door to the main chamber.

Gaius looked up. "Merlin. I heard you had quite the adventure."

"You don't know the half of it." Merlin closed the door behind him.

"Oh? I take it you have a different version of events?"

"Somewhat. I did the usual saving of Arthur's neck, but this time a bandit came after me and Morgana."

"What happened?"

"I tried to get her to hide but the bandit came so fast I used instinctual magic to send him flying. And Morgana saw."

Gaius drew in a loud breath. "Merlin!"

"I know, I know. But what's done is done. At least I think I convinced her not to talk to anyone about it."

"Are you sure?"

"I promised to tell her tonight."

"Merlin! You shouldn't be so careless."

"I'm not! She already knows, Gaius. What further harm can be done?"

"She shouldn't know the extent of your powers. She could decide to tell Uther."

"But she won't. She's in love with me, remember? And now I think I love her too."

"That's . . . wonderful, Merlin. I guess I cannot talk you out of telling her everything, can I?"

"Nope."

"Then good luck, my boy. Here's her potion."

"Thank you, Gaius."

Merlin picked up the bottle of potion and made his way to Morgana's chambers. He waited after his knock to hear her say "enter" and went in. He locked the door behind him then turned to find Morgana sitting on her bed. She looked even more beautiful now than she had in the woods, especially as she smiled up at him brightly.

"Hello, Morgana."

"Merlin." She stood and walked over to him, taking the bottle out of his hands and tossing it to the bed behind her. "So."

"So?"

"So, you're magic."

"Yes I am."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I'm sorry, Morgana, I wanted to, but Gaius and . . . Gaius asked me not to. He said you'd just be in more danger if you knew."

"You could have told me after I came back from the druids. I knew then."

"I know. And I should have, I'm sorry. But I was also afraid for myself. If you knew, what would you do? You're so close to the King, I thought you might—"

"Merlin." She took his face in her hands. "I care too much for you to ever do that. Even then. Even now. I'll never tell another person." She looked right into his eyes. "I promise."

Merlin felt all warm inside. "Thank you, Morgana."

She put a finger on his lips "Anything for the man I love." She moved her finger so he could speak.

"I love you too."

A look of such joy came over her face that he couldn't wait any longer. He pushed forward to meld their lips together, and at the first press he felt an odd tingle wash over him. The spell had broken and they were still kissing. He relaxed into the kiss just before she took control of it. Her hands threaded into his hair to keep him close to her. Her tongue darted out to lick at his bottom lip so he opened his mouth with a groan. He let her claim him thoroughly, holding onto her hips like his life depended on it. And maybe it did.

They broke for air and she took his hand. "Come. Tell me all about your magic." She pulled him to sit on the bed.

He eyed it warily. "I . . ."

She giggled up at him. "Oh, don't worry. I don't think either if us is ready for that yet."

"Right." He sat next to her. "So, about my magic . . ."

"How long have you had it?"

"Since I was born."

She gasped. "I've never heard of that before."

"Neither have I, to be honest. Gaius tells me I'm an enigma."

"So what can you do?"

"This and that. Create fire. Send people flying, obviously."

"What can't you do?"

"I have this spell book, and so far I've been able to do everything in it. Not always on the first try though."

"Wow." She thought for a moment. "Will you teach me?"

"Teach you? Morgana . . . what you're asking is dangerous. What we're doing now is dangerous enough."

"What we're doing now, hmm?" She leaned forward to give him a lingering kiss that warmed him from head to toe.

"Yeah . . . I mean, yes. Dangerous."

"But we don't have to do anything big. I really want to learn to control my magic. I've been fortunate there have been no more fires. But it won't always be that way. This morning . . ."

"Your nightmare?"

"Vision. It came true when we were attacked. You . . ." she choked up and he put his arm around her. "You died when that bandit came forward. But I expected it to happen on the way there, not on the way home. And then you surprised me."

"I could tell."

"Oh Merlin, I'm just glad you're safe."

"Me too."

"Oh stop it, you." She swatted at him, but he caught her hand and pulled her into a sweet kiss that went on and on until he lost balance and she fell on top of him. Their lips were forced apart and both started laughing. Morgana sat up and pulled Merlin with her.

"Guess that's my cue to leave for the night." He stood.

"Aww, don't go yet." She also stood and put a hand to his chest.

"Morgana, I shouldn't stay too long. People could get suspicious."

"That's true. We must be careful."

"I'm glad you think so."

She raised her eyebrow at that. "What makes you say that?"

"Oh, umm . . ."

" _Merlin_."

"You haven't been yourself the last few days."

"Why? What did I do?"

Uh oh, he'd really done it now. "You were . . . less cautious about how you showed your affection."

"And why is that? Do you know?"

He began backing up. "Umm . . ."

" _Merlin_."

"All right. I accidentally cast a spell to cause my true love to reveal herself to me . . . and you did."

She folded her arms across her chest. "So a spell made me fall in love with you."

"Yes. No. Really, it just made you a bit more forward than you'd usually be. The spell could only bring out something that was already there. It couldn't create love out of thin air."

She blushed. "Ah, so now you know my secret."

He took her hand. "I'm flattered you cared about me. Still care about me."

She nodded. "Yes, of course."

He pulled on her hard to bring her closer. "Well that's good then. Because I definitely love you back."

She cuddled close. "Mm, good."

He looked down at her and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her. Then he continued the motion downward to cup her jaw. He brought her face up to his for a lingering kiss. He put his arms around her for a long moment before breaking away. "I really should be going."

"Yes, probably." But neither let go for a few moments until Morgana sighed and stepped back. "See you tomorrow?"

"You can't stop me." He grinned down at her, then gave her another quick peck before heading to the door. "Goodnight, love," he said as he unbolted the door.

"Goodnight."

xxxXxxx

Merlin told Gaius about the most recent development. He blushed when he admitted how much he loved Morgana. Gaius just laughed and gave him a hug. Then he pulled back and admonished Merlin to be careful again. It was even more important now that Morgana knew his secret.

Only Arthur and Gwen noticed Merlin and Morgana's softening around each other. They caught the shy looks and cautious touches. Arthur lectured Merlin again about being with Morgana, but the besotted servant just laughed and said, "We love each other." Gwen also questioned Morgana and was told nearly the same thing. It seemed these two would not part from each other.

Eventually Arthur and Gwen shared their findings and that drew them closer together. Soon they were all sharing their mutual joy and the four friends became even closer.

* * *

 **A big thanks to everyone for reading! :) I hope y ou enjoyed this last chapter. Have a wonderful day!**


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